Always There
by CathGilLove
Summary: Follow up to Butterflied. Takes place when Sara is watching Grissom's speech. CG


Title: Always There

Author: ANNE (the insane one)

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Post-ep for Butterflied. Takes place when Sara is standing watching Grissom give his speech.

Disclaimer: Characters et al belong to the people that make CSI.

Sara turned around, having heard the last of Grissom's speech. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Catherine Willows standing there, leaning against the wall, arms folded.

"Jesus, Catherine! You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry," Catherine replied.

As Sara went to walk out of the room, Catherine put a hand on her arm.

"Leave him be."

Sara turned around to look at her. "Huh?"

"Leave him be," Catherine repeated.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Catherine sighed. "I mean it, Sara. I know you have feelings for Grissom, but don't go to him now. He hasn't slept since this case started, and what he said in there, he didn't mean for anyone to hear it."

"He'd rather unload himself to a total stranger than a friend?"

"Yes," Catherine said simply. "Because then he doesn't have to worry about the consequences, or when it will come back and bite him in the ass."

"Catherine…"

"Sara, please. Half the lab knows you have feelings for Grissom. That's fine, enjoy. But because of them, and if they're the right kind, leave him alone."

"So who will he talk to now?"

"Someone who's always there," Catherine replied. "He'll talk when he's ready."

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Later that evening, Catherine leant in the doorway to Grissom's kitchen. He was staring into the refrigerator.

"Hey," she murmured.

He turned around, his eyebrow raised. "How did you get in?"

"Spare key," Catherine replied. "The one you keep under that hideous gnome."

"I like my gnome," Grissom said defensively. "He has character. And I thought we only used spare keys in emergencies."

"I felt this qualified."

He ran a concerned eye over her. "You okay? Lindsey?"

"Not me, or Lindsey. You."

Grissom went back to staring in the fridge. "I'm fine."

Catherine sighed and walked over to the fridge, nudging him out the way. "Go and sit down before you fall down. I'll get you something."

"You're going to cook?"

"If you're going to argue you can go to bed hungry," Catherine replied, squatting down in front of the fridge.

Grissom went and sat on a stool by his bench. "Thank you."

Placing some eggs and other cooking implements on the bench, she smiled at him. "Anytime. You know that."

"This was a rough case."

Catherine nodded. "Yeah, it was." She cracked an egg into the bowl. "Especially for you. I know how much you feel like the kids are yours. The thought that you'd lost one of them hurts you."

"Seeing Debbie…if Sara hadn't been standing outside I would have thought it was her," Grissom replied. "I'd never tell them this, but the team is like my family."

Catherine smiled at him. "I know." Whisking the eggs up, she got ready to pour them into the pan. "We can always arrest him later you know."

Grissom nodded and accepted the orange juice she gave him. "I know." He took a sip and wrinkled his nose. "Cath! This is plain orange juice."

"It's almost unnerving that even after three days without sleep you're still perfectly aware of everything."

"I'll slow down eventually."

"Which is precisely why that's plain orange juice." Catherine tipped the cooked scrambled eggs onto a plate, placing the cooked tomato next to it. She grabbed a sprig of parsley and sat it on top. "Here we go. Scrambled eggs, a la Catherine."

Grissom accepted the plate. "Thanks."

Catherine sat down next to him, making sure he ate. She took a sip of her drink. "Some speech you gave to that doctor."

Grissom stopped eating and turned to look at her. "You heard that?"

Catherine nodded. "So did Sara."

Grissom sighed. "Perfect."

"I asked her not to come talk to you." She looked up at him. "I hope you don't mind."

He looked confused. "Why would I mind?"

"Because of the feelings you guys have for each other." Catherine looked away as she said it. She hated herself for voicing it. The fact that it could be true.

Grissom almost choked on his egg and he turned to look at her. "What? I don't have feelings for Sara!"

Catherine looked up. "You don't?"

Grissom shook his head. "No. I don't. And she…she what?"

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Remember how I once told you to lift your head up out of that microscope? Grissom, she's ga-ga over you."

Grissom wrinkled his nose. "Oh dear." Deciding to leave that topic for another day, he looked at Catherine again. "But why did you tell her to leave me alone."

Catherine sighed. "Because I think she took your little speech as some great cosmic sign that you return her feelings. Or whatever." She turned her gaze to him. "But I know you. After a case like that, you don't need to talk about   
it. You need to have food and sleep."

"And you."

Catherine arched an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Let's face it, Cath. After a bad case, you're always there for me."

She smiled slightly. "Well, I know what you need. Right?"

"I just wish that I could always have been there for you. When I should have been."

Catherine rested her hand on his. "It's okay. I'm still here."

Grissom looked pained, remembering all the times Catherine had needed him and he hadn't been there. "I wasn't talking about Sara, Catherine."

Catherine began gathering the dishes. "Well, I have to admit that's a relief. No offense Gil, but although I want you to be happy…"

"Trust me, I don't have feelings for Sara." He watched her thoughtfully for a moment and took a deep breath. "I was talking about you."

He heard the crash of a dish on the floor and Catherine's curse. She squatted down to pick it up then cursed again when a piece cut her. Grissom was by her side in a second, pressing a hand towel on her hand to stem the bleeding.

"I'm fine," Catherine said.

"No you're not," he replied. "Sit down."

He dashed about, getting antiseptic and a bandaid.

"It's just a little cut, Gil," Catherine reminded him.

"Stop arguing," Grissom replied, dabbing on antiseptic and then placing the bandaid over it. He took the hand towel and threw it in the sink. "You okay?"

Catherine nodded. "Thanks."

Grissom stood in front of her, refusing to let her get up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

"You didn't upset me," Catherine smiled. "You just startled me, that's all."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Sor…Right." He tried to gauge her reaction. "So now you know."

"Know what?"

"Catherine," he groaned.

She looked up at him. "You were talking about me."

"Yes."

"So all that stuff about not taking risks was about me."

"Yes."

"And all that stuff about a young beautiful woman turning up, was about me."

"Yes."

"For how long?"

Grissom smiled, his memory going back. "When I first met you. When Eddie introduced me to you. You had the most beautiful smile and the most fascinating eyes."

Catherine stared at him, sadly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You were with Eddie. And then we worked together. And I was afraid."

"Of what? Jesus, Grissom, I don't bite!"

Grissom took her hand, stroking the top of it gently. "You did hear what I said, right?"

"You said that you couldn't take the risk because it might destroy everything you worked for." Her eyes hit the floor. "Do you really think I'd let that happen?"

"No." He tilted her face up so she was looking at him. "No," he said sternly. "I was afraid you'd turn me down, and that would mean our friendship, which we both have worked hard at, would be gone. I love working with you, Cath. But I'm a science geek. I've been bound up in it for years." He sighed. "Listen to me, Catherine. Maybe I was flattered when Sara asked me out, but I don't have feelings for her. I mentored her, I helped her. But you…" He curled a finger in a lock of her hair. "You are my friend, my best friend. And you're my partner."

"I wouldn't let anything hurt you, you have to know that."

Grissom nodded. "I know. But I always figured I'd rather have you as a friend forever, rather than ask you out and lose you altogether."

"Why are you so sure I would have said no?"

Grissom paused. "Because you're beautiful and smart. And you seem to know everything about the real world." He shrugged. "You drag me into the real world, Cath. You do it every day."

"So you think the only guys I want to be with are people like Eddie?"

"No one in their right mind would want to be with anyone like Eddie after what he did to you." Grissom bit his lip. "Sorry."

Catherine smirked. "It's okay." She sighed and brushed back some wayward curls. "You need some sleep."

"Not until this is finished," Grissom said, gripped her arms. "Listen to me, Catherine. After seeing what happened to Debbie and then listening to what you said at the scene…I did some thinking. I don't want to be that 50 year old with no one to hold onto."

"You'll always have someone to hold onto, Gil."

"I only want one person. The one who's always there when I need her."

Catherine smiled slightly. "I do what I can."

"Then teach me. Teach me how to live in your world."

"My world isn't all that great."

"It's got you in it. That's all I need."

Catherine smiled up at him. "Okay. Ready for your lesson, Dr Grissom?"

"I'll be the perfect student."

Catherine chuckled. "I have no doubt. Okay, lesson one. How to kiss the girl that you've been telling you want to be with for the past half an hour."

Before she could continue, Grissom's lips crashed onto hers. She let out a small moan and her arms lifted to encircle his neck. He walked in between her legs, holding her close to him. The kiss deepened, as her mouth opened and Grissom took the invitation, exploring her mouth thoroughly.

When the kiss ended, they just held each other.

"Wow," Catherine said.

"Thank you," Grissom replied.

Catherine smirked up at him. "Now we really need to get you to bed."

Grissom arched an eyebrow at her.

"To sleep," she laughed.

"Come with me? To sleep?"

Catherine nodded and took his hand.

"I love you, Cath."

"I love you, Gil."

When they reached his bedroom, Grissom paused for a moment. "How did I do on lesson one?"

Catherine's mouth broke into a broad smile. "Oh, you're the teacher's pet."

FINIS


End file.
